Kangaroo court a waste of time, money

Facing a $1 billion deficit and policy matters ranging from property tax reform to better stewardship of the natural gas industry, state lawmakers have plenty of legitimate business to conduct.

But things must be in hand better than lawmakers and Gov. Tom Corbett have indicated.

Tuesday, after all, Republican Rep. Darryl Metcalfe of Butler County found time to conduct a shameful kangaroo court hearing masquerading as an impeachment proceeding against state Attorney General Kathleen Kane, the first elected Democrat to hold the office.

Metcalfe, chairman of the State Government Committee, didn't even create the pretense of the bipartisanship that an honest impeachment inquiry would demand. He called as witnesses only fellow right-wing zealots who share his views. And when Democratic Rep. Michael O'Brien dared to speak, Metcalfe borrowed an unsavory technique from another ideologue - U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa of California - by calling security to have O'Brien removed. That prompted the 10 Democratic members of the committee to walk out. No doubt, they easily found something better to do on the public's time.

Metcalfe has two complaints against Kane, other than her party registration. He thinks she should be impeached for declining to defend the state's Defense of Marriage Act against a federal lawsuit. Kane believes the law is unconstitutional. And Metcalfe is upset that Kane did not pursue criminal charges against four Democratic state representatives as the result of a sting operation conducted in Philadelphia before she took office. Kane contends the case is fatally flawed due to an unsavory informant who had been charged with serious crimes, potential entrapment and the prospect of racial bias.

These are policy matters. Metcalfe is free to disagree with Kane and rant about the decisions all he wants. But trying to pose them as impeachable conduct, and then wasting public time and money on his charade of a "hearing," question his own suitability for office.

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